                              2.3.1 Release Notes

   --------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Table of Contents

   1. Overview

   2. Migration

                2.1. Database Conversion
                2.2. Skin Update
                2.3. Configuration changes

   3. What's New

                3.1. Tool Promotions
                3.2. Tool Enhancements
                3.3. Other Enhancements

   4. Fixes Included in this Release

   5. Open Issues

   6. Maintenance Branch

1. Overview

   +------------------------------------------------------------------------+
   | Security Update: 2.3.1 adds critical security and performance fixes to |
   | the 2.3.0 release, and should therefore be taken to simply supersede   |
   | 2.3.0. Anyone running an unpatched 2.3.0 should upgrade to 2.3.1       |
   | immediately. Unpatched systems could allow a user to view all          |
   | attachments on the system through the browser (SAK-7288) as well   |
   | as alter or delete them through a WebDAV client (SAK-7672).        |
   +------------------------------------------------------------------------+

   The Sakai 2.3 series as a whole presents more in the way of feature
   enhancements and less in the way of API changes than 2.2. Three new
   provisional tools have been added, while two very successful provisional
   tools have been promoted to the enterprise bundle (for details see below).
   Several existing tools have seen significant enhancements, along with
   general improvements for the portal and configuration options in
   sakai.properties.

   These release notes highlight salient enhancements and required migration
   steps, while links to complete lists of fixed and open issues specific to
   2.3.1 are available below.

2. Migration

  2.1. Database Conversion

   A DB conversion script is required for a database migration from 2.2.1 to
   2.3.1 (there were no DB schema changes introduced in 2.2.2 or 2.2.3).
   There is also a conversion script for a move from 2.3.0 to 2.3.1, for
   those who may be already running 2.3.0, but the 2.3.0 release should be
   bypassed altogether by those who are upgrading from a 2.2 release.

  Note

   DB conversions require the successive application of all intermediate
   scripts, e.g., a migration from 2.2.0 will require two conversions: one
   from 2.2.0 to 2.2.1, and one from 2.2.1 to 2.3.1 (again, there were no DB
   schema changes introduced in 2.2.2 and 2.2.3, and while there is a conversion script for a 2.3.0 to 2.3.1 conversion for those who may have already migrated to 2.3.0, the 2.2.1-2.3.0 conversion had a significant gradebook error, and is no longer made available).  The 2.3.0 release has been superseded, and is no longer even a waystation in the database conversion process.

   The conversion scripts to be applied - in distinct versions for MySQL and
   Oracle, respectively - are found in the reference/docs/conversion folder
   of the release or on subversion:
   
   https://source.sakaiproject.org/svn/reference/tags/sakai_2-3-1/docs/conversion

  2.2. Skin Update

   Portal changes (see below) have reduced the number of frames that Sakai
   uses, and 2.2 skins will need to be adapted as a result. The changes are
   however few in number, and they are described in Appendix I of:
   https://source.sakaiproject.org/svn/reference/tags/sakai_2-3-1/docs/architecture/sakai_skin.doc

  2.3. Configuration changes

   Among the enhancements of 2.3 are improved configuration options. The
   sakai.properties settings below are new and optional.

     * For disabling new Resources features

 # set to false to disable the release/retract and hiding of resources in ContentHostingService
 # if this setting is left out of sakai.properties, the availability features should be enabled
 # by default
 availabilityChecksEnabled@org.sakaiproject.content.api.ContentHostingService = true

 # set to false to disable custom sorts within folders in ContentHostingService
 # if this setting is left out of sakai.properties, the priority sorts should be
 # enabled by default
 prioritySortEnabled@org.sakaiproject.content.api.ContentHostingService = true

     * For configuring threaded view for Message Center

 mc.threadedview=true

     * For handling tool stealthing in a more flexible way (these settings
       override default stealthing).

 visibleTools@org.sakaiproject.tool.api.ActiveToolManager=
 hiddenTools@org.sakaiproject.tool.api.ActiveToolManager=

     * For switching off the saving of tool state

 portal.experimental.auto.reset=true

3. What's New

   For a more complete treatment of all available tools, see the Sakai
   Tools page on Confluence.

  3.1. Tool Promotions

    3.1.1. New Enterprise Bundle Tools

     * Rwiki

     * Calendar Summary

    3.1.2. New Provisional Tools

     * Blog: for collaborative blogging among members of a particular site.

     * Linktool: for calling external applications in Sakai (e.g. those
       written in PHP).

     * Podcasts: a podcasting tool which takes advantage of the Resources
       tool for storage, but displays podcasts in a user friendly way and
       provides an RSS feed for access through one's favorite podcatcher.

  3.2. Tool Enhancements

     * Assignments: ability to link to previously-created gradebook items.

     * Gradebook: now includes selective release and import

     * Message Center: now includes the option of a threaded view,
       configurable in sakai.properties
       (http://bugs.sakaiproject.org/jira/browse/SAK-4899 - see section
       2.3 above)

     * Resources: now includes timed release and custom ordering.

     * Roster: uses a new API to manage privacy.

     * RWiki: now includes commenting and RSS notifications
       (http://bugs.sakaiproject.org/jira/browse/SAK-4295)

     * Tests & Quizzes (Samigo): (see the Samigo release notes for more
       complete details)

          * allowing instructors to attach any file to a question (
            http://bugs.sakaiproject.org/jira/browse/SAK-4396)

          * bulk downloading of uploaded file answers (
            http://bugs.sakaiproject.org/jira/browse/SAK-4396)

          * filtered views for grading (
            http://bugs.sakaiproject.org/jira/browse/SAK-4573)

          * a pager/search box for grading (
            http://bugs.sakaiproject.org/jira/browse/SAK-4402)

          * a new question type: numeric response (
            http://bugs.sakaiproject.org/jira/browse/SAK-6325)

          * java.policy requirement for audio recording questions removed

  3.3. Other Enhancements

     * Accessibility: Site navigation and tool titles are now contained in
       the main document, which eliminates several iFrames and makes
       navigation more seamless (see "CSS changes" below for more detail).
       Repaired problem with Help opening on tab. Accesskeys revised to
       reflect UK eCommerce standards.

     * CSS Changes: mostly to make possible the rendering of site navigation
       and tool title content. How these 2 things get displayed is now
       radically different - they will look the same mostly, but they will
       now behave decently. Things like really testing for 800X600
       resolution, ungodly long site titles, etc. are now possible.

     * Portal:

          * Left-hand buttons are now permissions-based (
            http://bugs.sakaiproject.org/jira/browse/SAK-4120). Each tool
            in its registration file indicates the Sakai functions which are
            needed for the execution of the respective tool. For example, the
            Presentation tool is completely non-functional without
            content.read so the following line is added to the tool
            registration:

 <configuration name="functions.require" value="content.read" />

            You can specify more than one security function using commas. The
            implication is "AND" so if two functions are specfied the user
            must have both permissions.

          * Added a capability to deep link URLs through Charon into tools -
            this is still under some debate so folks should use caution when
            trying to use this...it might change.

     * Course Management API: The API is in - Josh (jholtzman@berkeley.edu)
       has providers and Quartz Jobs that you can use if you prefer to
       integrate your SIS data using the CM approach.

     * Basic Auth: Initially inspired by Rwiki RSS requirements, but it can
       be used with any portal or access servlet URL (
       http://bugs.sakaiproject.org/jira/browse/SAK-4295).

     * Refactored Import: includes limited support for importing packages
       formatted according to our current understanding of the IMS Common
       Cartridge specification (which is however still in development).

     * Partial Swedish translation

4. Fixes Included in this Release

   Sakai 2.3.1 fixes the following issues:

   http://source.sakaiproject.org/release/2.3.1/fixed-issues.html

5. Open Issues

   The list of known issues with Sakai 2.3.1 is found at:

   http://source.sakaiproject.org/release/2.3.1/open-issues.html

   See in particular the "Important Issues" noted at the top of the list.

6. Maintenance Branch

   The code of each release has a corresponding maintenance branch, which is
   patched with fixes in an ongoing way by a branch manager - effectively
   until there is no longer sufficient interest in it for a branch manager to
   volunteer. Maintenance branches therefore represent the latest snapshot of
   fixes for any given Sakai version.

   These maintenance branches may be checked out through subversion; they are
   labeled with an 'x' replacing their minor version number, e.g. '2-3-x'.
   You can check out the 2.3 maintenance branch with the following command:

   svn co https://source.sakaiproject.org/svn/sakai/branches/sakai_2-3-x/

   If you come upon an important fix that you believe should be included in
   the branch (and perhaps isn't yet), feel free to bring it to the attention
   of the branch manager, Lance Speelmon (lance@indiana.edu).